Two Shreveport-postmarked letters containing ricin were addressed to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and contained threats referencing the debate on gun laws. / Photo Illustration/The Times

Written by

Kristi Johnston

and Michael Winter

Ky Ellen Mason talks about ricin scare: Shreveporter Ky Ellen Mason discusses how she feels about letters sent to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg containing ricin that were postmarked May 20 in Shreveport.

ABOUT RICIN

The toxic poison is found naturally in castor beans. Waste left from processing the beans can be made into a powder, mist or pellet or dissolved in water or weak acid. Ricin prevents cells from making the proteins they need. Without the proteins, cells die. You generally can be exposed to ricin by swallowing or inhaling material containing it. Death can occur within 36 to 72 hours, depending on the route of exposure and dose received. If ingested, initial symptoms occur in less than six to 12 hours and include nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Symptoms progress over 12 to 24 hours to include severe dehydration and kidney and liver problems. The rapid progression is what typically differentiates it from most but not all other infectious foodborne illnesses. If inhaled, initial symptoms of difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and cough occur within four to six hours. Serious symptoms — including fluid in the lungs and, eventually, respiratory failure — can occur as late as 24 hours after exposure. If you suspect ricin poisoning, seek medical attention right away. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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The U.S. Postal Service has held a series of stand-up talks following the discovery of five letters containing the poison ricin - the two most recently being postmarked from Shreveport, according to a news release from the National Association of Letter Carriers.

The latest stand-up talk was held May 28 and said the suspected substance was not in a form that could be inhaled or otherwise ingested, according to the NALC.

"We have no reason to believe that any employees are at risk from handlingthe suspect letter as it passed through the mailstream," the talk stated..

Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover urges residents to remain calm after two letters containing the poison ricin mailed from Shreveport to a New York official.

“We are also taking the necessary steps to protect United States Postal Service and Government Plaza personnel, as well as any of our citizens from any potential harm,’’ Glover said.

Bossier City Mayor Lo Walker said the incident is no cause for public worry.

"Normally these things are isolated to an individual or small group that does not reflect the general populous," Walker said.

Shreveport police are working with the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force on the investigation as from whom and where the letters were sent.

The anonymous, threatening letters were postmarked from Shreveport on May 20 to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his gun control organization.

U.S. Rep. John Fleming said letters to such officials are more likely to harm a staffer rather than the elected officials themselves.

“When people send letters, most likely it’s going to be read first, most likely by young people, just hired to work because they needed a job, not because they agree with the politician they work for,” Fleming said. “The point is the congressman or the mayor is the last person exposed to it.”

Mail sent to congressmen and senators goes through an extensive process, including x-rays and radiation, before it reaches an official’s office, Fleming said. It’s then up to staff members to open, sort and deliver to the appropriate channels. It can take as many as two weeks for a piece of mail to go through the complete screening process.

Shreveport City Council Chairman Michael Corbin said the letters coming from Shreveport was “kind of stunning.” He questions whether the letters originated from Shreveport or were simply mailed from here.

One letter was opened Friday at a city mail facility in New York. The other was opened Sunday in Washington at Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Ricin naturally occurs in castor beans and can be fatal if inhaled or ingested.

Three New York officers experienced mild diarrhea Saturday, a minor symptom of ricin exposure, police said. In Washington, Mark Glaze, director of Bloomberg’s lobbying group, showed no symptoms after opening that letter.

Ricin-tainted threats were sent recently to President Barack Obama, lawmakers, judges and other officials.

Last week, a Washington state man was accused of including ricin in a death threat mailed to a federal judge.

Matthew Buquet, 38, of Spokane, was ordered held without bail during a court appearance Tuesday.

In late April, a Mississippi man was arrested on charges of mailing poisoned letters to Obama, Republican Sen. Roger Wicker and an 80-year-old judge in Tupelo.

The FBI said Everett Dutschke, 41, bought castor bean seeds online late last year. Agents found traces of ricin on several objects retrieved from trash at his Tupelo home and near his martial-arts studio.